AS IT HAPPENED: Future Investment Initiative - Day One

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The Future Investment Initiative (FII), an international platform for debate between global leaders, investors and innovators, kicks off in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. (AFP)
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The Future Investment Initiative (FII), an international platform for debate between global leaders, investors and innovators, kicks off in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. (AN Photo)
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Updated 28 January 2021
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AS IT HAPPENED: Future Investment Initiative - Day One

  • A host of high-profile experts coming together under the theme “The Neo-Renaissance
  • Jamaican eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt among speakers

RIYADH/LONDON: The Future Investment Initiative (FII), an international platform for debate between global leaders, investors and innovators, kicked off in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday with a host of high-profile speakers brought together under the theme “The Neo-Renaissance.”

Opening remarks at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center (KAICC) came from Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and FII Institute Chairman.

Other speakers include Jamaican eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, Matteo Renzi, former prime minister of Italy and Kevin Rudd, former Australian prime minister.

Follow the coverage below (all times GMT):

18:40 - FII CEO Richard Attias brings day one to a close, and that ends our first day coverage here at Arab News. Remember to come back to www.arabnews.com/fii2021 for coverage of the second day's discussions.

18:30 - ICYMI: Saudi Arabia has revamped over half of the 400 foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations, as foreign investment rose in 2020 compared to 2019, said Minister of Investment Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih.

“We have performed better than most, and ultimately, investors trust a government that provides security to them and the population. Saudi Arabia handled it better than most, as investors want to trust governments that look after them. Saudi Arabia, through our leadership, has shown that,” he stated. READ MORE HERE.

18:20 - The value of mergers and acquisitions declined globally by 5% year-on-year to $3.6 trillion in 2020, the lowest level since 2017, according to studies. But two sectors where there was still significant activity were technology and pharma.

Sarah Al-Suhaimi, chairwoman at Tadawul and CEO of NCB Capital in Saudi Arabia joins the panel to discuss a blueprint for financial leaders assessing future market opportunities and public-private partnerships needed to ensure sustainable growth.

18:15 - ICYMI: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the restructuring of the global health care system, with an accelerated shift in focus away from hospitals to providing more facilities to homes, speakers told delegates at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference place in Riyadh.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, India’s Minister of Health and Family Welfare, said another health care trend was a closer collaboration between the government and citizens, where all elements of society must work together to ensure the safety and wellness of the whole country. READ MORE HERE.

18:05 - We've reached the penultimate panel of day one of the FII, which looks at the "new pathways" to global growth, after the pandemic resulted in a steep rise in unemployment and sharp contraction in specific segments of the economy, with input from CEO of Bahrain's Mumtalakat Holding Company Khalid Al-Rumaihi and Senegal's economy minister Amadou Hott.

17:55 - Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, said that Saudi Arabia is working with so many countries on green hydrogen and blue hydrogen.

“Easily and simply, I could say, that we will be pioneering more of that blue hydrogen and green hydrogen,” Prince Abdulaziz said. READ MORE HERE.

17:40 - Saudi Arabian finance minister Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan joins his Bahraini counterpart Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa to discuss how the Gulf nations are adapting to the challenges of economic diversification posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

17:35 - ICYMI: Saudi Arabia is cultivating the trust of global investing institutions as it seeks to attract foreign funds into the Kingdom’s ambitious development plans, Khalid Al-Falih, the Minister of Investment, told the Future Investment Initiative (FII) summit. READ MORE HERE.

17:20 - Amin Nasser, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco and Abdullah Amer Al-Swaha, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Communications and IT join Dr. Thomas A. Kennedy, Executive Chairman, Board of Directors, Raytheon Technologies to discuss the future of global technology policy.

17:05 - As we look ahead into 2021 and beyond, where will the greatest opportunities be to invest in assets with high conformity to environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles? Our next panel, which include a NEOM investor and the CEOs of Nasdaq and London Stock Exchange, are discussing their predictions.

16:45 - Our next panel is Playing to Win: How will global investment drive the future of the sports industry? And the panelists are discussing how Saudi Arabia was able to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to continue hosting world-class sporting events — such as the Dakar Rally, FIA Formula E and golf's Saudi International. 

Alejandro Agag, CEO of ExtremeE (Pictured, R), said the reason this can happen in the Kingdom is because “everything works in Saudi Arabia... nothing is impossible here.”

Moderator: Richard Attias, CEO, FII Institute

• Bader Alkadi, Advisor to the Minister of Sport, Saudi Arabia 

• Dr. Amina Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage of the Republic of Kenya

• Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO, Extreme E, UK

Usain Bolt, Eight-Time Olympic Gold Medalist, Jamaica

• Jean Todt, President, Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, France

The panel also included a brief appearance from eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt who spoke about athletes having to compete in the COVID-19 era without spectators.

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16:00 - Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy, first has a discussion with Palki Sharma Upadhyay, the executive editor at WION, which precedes a panel discussion on how the energy sector can be part of and power the post-COVID-19 crisis recovery.

15:50 - ICYMI: Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), is concerned about the different valuation of financial and other assets that has been a feature of markets affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. READ MORE HERE.

15:40 - Next up, Peggy Johnson, CEO of Magic Leap, is in discussion with Turqi Al-Nowaiser of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund about the expected investment ($72.8 billion by 2024) in AR/VR and how it will revolutionize the sector.

15:30 - ICYMI: Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), said that the sovereign wealth fund is looking to invest not only in large companies but in the entire spectrum of technology. READ MORE HERE.

15:15 - Next up, our panelists will discuss how work will change in the post-COVID era, and how the pandemic and its aftermath will influence the way CEOs reshape their companies to provide stability and hope to a workforce living in a new social, political, and economic reality.

Moderator: Edie Lush, Executive Editor, Hub Culture, UK

Yousef Abdullah Al-Benyan, Vice Chairman and CEO, SABIC, Saudi Arabia (pictured)

• Patrice Caine, Chairman & CEO, Thales Group, France

• Todd Gibbons, CEO, BNY Mellon, USA

• Daniel S. Loeb, Founder and CEO, Third Point LLC, USA

• Andrew N. Liveris, Special Advisor, Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia

15:05 - Next is a brief discussion between Lameen Abdul-Malik, Nobel Peace Prize 2005 and Head of THINK and Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group in India.

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14:45 - The health of nations: A CEO’s guide to investing in the next decade of global health is our third panel. 

Some context for you: The global healthcare market is expected to surpass $11 trillion by 2022, while Deloitte data shows funding for health technology innovators surpassed $7.4 billion in 2019 and continues to rise.

So how can business and government expand access to healthcare, train healthcare workers, remove regulatory barriers, and encourage investment in advanced health technologies?

Moderator: Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, Founder and Executive Chairman, XPRIZE Foundation, Board of Trustees Member, FII Institute, USA

• Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, India

• Dr. Bernd Montag, CEO, Siemens Healthineers, Germany

• Dr. Ali Parsadoust, Founder and CEO, Babylon Health, UK

14:30 - Kirill Dmitriev of the Russian Direct Investment Fund speaks briefly about the fund's achievements last year - including the Sputnik V vaccine - and how looking ahead to 2021, it wants to work closer with Saudi Arabia on transforming the Kingdom into a leading investment destination and continue to work on oil price regulation.

14:00 - Our second panel discussion looks at how, with lower oil prices and costs of the pandemic taking their toll, global business leaders and policymakers will strengthen investment and trade partnerships in the midst of new geopolitical realities and economic possibilities.

Moderator: Fatima Daoui, Anchor Business News, Al Arabiya 

H.E. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, Minister of Investment, Saudi Arabia

• H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, Egypt 

• H.E. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World, UAE 

• Lord Grimstone of Boscobel, Kt, Minister for Investment, Department for International Trade and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UK 

• Eric I. Cantor, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Moelis & Company, USA

13:45 - PHOTOS: 200 seats have been allocated for FII guests in the plenary hall, as well as for the media in the event's media center.

13:20 - ICYMI: The fifth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) will take place from Oct. 25th to 28th, Richard Attias, CEO of organizing body the FII Institute, confirmed on Wednesday. READ MORE HERE.

13:10 - The first panel discussion of the day asks how the global investment community can leverage the economic downturn brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to build a stronger, more sustainable future for all. Panelists for this talk are: 

Moderator: David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman, The Carlyle Group, USA

• H.E. Yasir Al Rumayyan, Chairman, FII Institute and Governor and Board Member, Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia

• Ray Dalio, Co-Chairman and CIO, Bridgewater Associates, USA

• Laurence D. Fink, Chairman and CEO, BlackRock, USA

• Dr. Thomas P. Gottstein, CEO, Credit Suisse Group, Switzerland

• David M. Solomon, Chairman and CEO, The Goldman Sachs Group, USA

13:00 - The opening remarks from Yasir Al Rumayyan, Chairman of the FII Institute and governor and board member of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, will get us started on day one.

12:45 - Follow Arab News' special coverage of this year’s FII, at our dedicated online section

12:30 - Jamaican eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt is one of the star speakers lined up to take part in the event, you can hear him at 7 p.m. KSA (4 p.m. GMT)...

12:15 - Hello, and welcome to the first day of coverage of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) - guests and media participants attending the two-day event have limited access due to the exceptional circumstances of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. 


Oil Updates – prices fall as Hurricane Rafael expected to start weakening

Updated 4 sec ago
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Oil Updates – prices fall as Hurricane Rafael expected to start weakening

SINGAPORE: Oil prices fell slightly on Friday as the risk that a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico will significantly affect US oil and gas output declined, while the market weighs how President-elect Donald Trump’s policies might affect supplies.

Brent crude oil futures fell 47 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $75.16 per barrel by 7:46 a.m. Saudi time. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 55 cents or 0.8 percent to $71.81. The benchmarks fell after rising nearly 1 percent on Thursday.

For the week, Brent is set to gain 3.1 percent while WTI is set to rise 4.1 percent

Hurricane Rafael, which has caused 391,214 barrels per day of US crude oil production to be shut, is expected to move slowly westward over the Gulf of Mexico and away from US fields while forecast to weaken from Friday and through the weekend, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Prices gained support on Thursday on expected actions by the incoming Trump administration such as tighter sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, which could limit their supply to global markets.

“Our core view sees Trump adopt a relatively pragmatic approach to policy, in which he either chooses not to pursue more radical policy shifts, or is held back by institutional constraints or the influence of more moderate policy advisers,” BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, said in a note on Friday.

Downward pressure came from data showing crude imports in China, the world’s biggest oil importer, fell 9 percent in October, the sixth consecutive month showing a year-on-year decline, as well as from a rise in US crude inventories.

“The impact (of the Trump administration) on oil market fundamentals in 2025 will likely be somewhat limited,” BMI said. 


Closing Bell: GCC stock markets up in wake of Trump’s election win

Updated 07 November 2024
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Closing Bell: GCC stock markets up in wake of Trump’s election win

RIYADH: Following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, stock markets across the Gulf Cooperation Council saw a strong rally.

Markets posted gains, with Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index finishing 0.31 percent up to close at 12,130.80 points on Thursday. This came after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated Trump on winning the election in a phone call on Wednesday, according to the Saudi News Agency.

Dubai’s Financial Market mirrored the upward momentum, climbing 0.60 percent. Abu Dhabi’s Securities Exchange also saw a lift, finishing the day up 0.44 percent.

Bahrain’s Bourse recorded a rise of 0.52 percent, while Kuwait’s main market similarly rose, closing with a 0.10 percent gain.

However, the Muscat Securities Market in Oman saw a 0.17 percent decrease, while the Qatar Stock Exchange was closed for a public holiday. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index on TASI was SR7.53 billion ($2 billion) as 113 of the listed stocks advanced, while 111 retreated.   

Similarly, the MSCI Tadawul Index increased by 2.03 points, or 0.13 percent, to close at 1,521.79.

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also climbed by 415.36 points, or 1.44 percent, to close at 29,269.00. This comes as 49 of the listed stocks advanced while as many as 22 retreated.

The best-performing stock of the day was Rasan Information Technology Co., whose share price surged by 7.13 percent to SR78.10.

Other top performers include Miahona Co., and Theeb Rent a Car Co., with Miahona’s share price climbing 6.75 percent to SR29.25 and Theeb’s rising 6.59 percent to SR79.30.

Naseej International Trading Co. and Al Moammar Information Systems Co. also posted rises.

The worst performer was Saudi Arabian Mining Co., whose share price dropped by 4.09 percent to SR53.90.

Other worst performers were Abdulmohsen Alhokair Group for Tourism and Development, whose share price fell by 3.18 percent to SR2.74, and ACWA Power Co., which saw a 2.95 percent drop to SR441.20.

On an announcement front, ACWA Power Co. announced its results for interim financial results for the first nine months of 2024, ending on Sept. 30, with revenues surging by 13.3 percent to reach SR1.74 billion, compared to SR1.542 billion in 2023.

The increase was primarily driven by higher revenue from electricity sales, operation and maintenance services, and additional income from development projects and construction management, the company said on Tadawul. 

BinDawood Holding Co. also disclosed its financial results for the third quarter, with revenues slightly increasing by 0.189 percent to reach SR1.361 compared to the same quarter last year.

The company closed Thursday’s trading session at SR7.02, a 0.29 percent increase.

Saudi Steel Pipe Co. also released its financial results for the nine months of the year, recording SR381 million in revenues, a 20.18 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The company closed today’s trading session at SR71.40, decreasing by 1.27 percent.

The United International Transportation Co. disclosed a 37.052 percent increase in revenues for the first nine months to reach SR505.8 million, compared to SR369.07 million during the same period last year.

This was primarily driven by the expansion of a long-term lease fleet and the resulting higher lease revenues.

The company closed at SR84, with its stock valie declining by 1.55 percent.


ACWA Power reports 16% profit increase amid record project launches

Updated 07 November 2024
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ACWA Power reports 16% profit increase amid record project launches

RIYADH: ACWA Power, the Saudi-listed energy and water desalination company, has announced a 16 percent increase in its profits for the first nine months of 2024, underpinned by significant progress in its power and water production projects.

For the period, ACWA Power’s net profit attributable to equity holders reached SR1.25 billion ($334 million), a rise fueled by a 12.5 percent increase in operating income, which reached SR2.36 billion.

This marks a strong improvement from the same period in 2023. According to a company press release, the growth was primarily driven by an investment gain from the restructuring of a project, alongside a capital recycling gain.

ACWA Power’s CEO, Marco Arcelli, highlighted the company’s commitment to growth, noting that its portfolio now includes 26 projects — the largest in its 20-year history.

“These projects reflect both the speed at which we are realizing our growth, through swift financial closes, and the scale of future cash flows from a diverse and young portfolio,” Arcelli said.

He reiterated the company’s focus on providing reliable, cost-effective energy and water, aiming to create positive impacts across all its operations.

Over the past nine months, ACWA Power successfully achieved financial closure on seven major projects worth SR31 billion. These include Saudi Arabia’s Taiba and Qassim Combined Cycle Gas Turbine projects, the Tashkent Solar PV project in Uzbekistan, and the Hassyan Seawater Reverse Osmosis plant in the UAE.

The company’s expansion in power generation is also evident, having added 2.4 GW of capacity during the same period, including the Ar Rass Solar PV project, a 700 MW solar plant that was completed in just 18 months.

On the renewable energy front, ACWA Power secured a 5 GW Power Purchase Agreement for the Aral Wind project in Uzbekistan, as well as 5.5 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity as part of Saudi Arabia’s fourth round of Public Investment Fund projects.

In water desalination, the company signed a Water Purchase Agreement for the 410,000 cubic meters per day Hamriyah Independent Water Project in the UAE.

Abdulhameed Al-Muhaidib, ACWA Power’s Chief Financial Officer, expressed confidence in the company’s future, stating, “In the first nine months of 2024, we saw strong project mobilization, achieving financial closure on seven projects worth SR31 billion. We also began generating revenue from 2.2 GW of projects that reached partial or full commercial operation.”

He added: “Our diversified asset base, visible growth pipeline, and resilient business model, combined with our focus on operational excellence, give us confidence in achieving sustainable, long-term financial performance.”


UAE banking sector’s net international reserves grow 11% by July 2024

Updated 07 November 2024
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UAE banking sector’s net international reserves grow 11% by July 2024

RIYADH: The UAE’s banking sector saw a significant increase in its net international reserves, which rose by 11.1 percent— or 127.5 billion dirhams ($34.3 billion) — during the first seven months of 2024.

By the end of July, the reserves totaled 1.273 trillion dirhams, up from 1.145 trillion dirhams at the close of 2023.

According to the Central Bank of the UAE’s June statistical bulletin, the central bank’s share of these reserves stood at 771.6 billion dirhams at the end of July, reflecting a 14.6 percent increase compared to 673.42 billion dirhams at the end of 2023. Meanwhile, the net international reserves of banks operating in the UAE amounted to 501.6 billion dirhams, marking a 6.22 percent rise from 472.2 billion dirhams at the end of last year.

The bulletin also highlighted a notable increase in the central bank’s gold reserves, which grew by 23.5 percent year on year to 21.28 billion dirhams by July’s end, up from 17.226 billion dirhams in July 2023. Over the first seven months of 2024, gold reserves increased by 17.3 percent, from 18.147 billion dirhams at the close of 2023.

In terms of banking operations, the value of transfers processed through the UAE Financial Transfer System exceeded 11.13 trillion dirhams during the first seven months of 2024, reflecting a 17 percent year-on-year growth from 9.5 trillion dirhams in the same period in 2023.

Monthly remittance values were as follows: 1.512 trillion dirhams in January, 1.449 trillion dirhams in February, 1.565 trillion dirhams in March, 1.592 trillion dirhams in April, 1.78 trillion dirhams in May, 1.42 trillion dirhams in June, and 1.81 trillion dirhams in July.

Additionally, the central bank’s data revealed that the value of cheques cleared via image technology totaled 765.08 billion dirhams across more than 13 million cheques during the first seven months of 2024.

The bulletin also showed that cash deposits at the central bank reached 111.4 billion dirhams during the period, while cash withdrawals totaled 120.3 billion dirhams.


MODON signs contracts worth over $533m to establish industrial complexes in Makkah, Al-Kharj

Updated 07 November 2024
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MODON signs contracts worth over $533m to establish industrial complexes in Makkah, Al-Kharj

JEDDAH: Agreements to invest over SR2 billion ($533 million) in new industrial complexes will bring growth and job opportunities to Saudi Arabia’s cities of Makkah and Al-Kharj, advancing Vision 2030.

The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones, or MODON, signed two contracts with Albaddad Holding to establish complexes within the second industrial cities in both boroughs. 

The inking ceremony took place under the patronage of the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Alkhorayef.

Under the contracts, the company is responsible for developing the infrastructure and constructing ready-made and prefabricated buildings to create a fully integrated complex that supports industrial objectives. 

It will also improve production efficiency and enhance added value and sustainable growth opportunities, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The agreements were signed by MODON’s CEO, Majed Rafed Al-Argoubi, and Zayed bin Hussein Al-Baddad, CEO of Albaddad Holding, in the presence of the company’s chairman, Al-Fateen bin Hussein Al-Baddad.

The initiative aligns with MODON’s vision to be the preferred destination for investment growth and the leading partner for industrial and technology ecosystems, fostering an enabling environment that enhances business sustainability and contributes to national economic development.

These efforts support the goals of Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Strategy and the Vision 2030 objective of transforming the Kingdom into a leading industrial powerhouse.

The Makkah project is MODON’s first privately developed complex, spanning over 1.3 million sq. meters with an investment of SR1.75 billion. 

It aims to localize promising industries through advanced production technology, create 5,000 jobs, and boost national exports, with up to 60 percent of its output targeting markets in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and countries including Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, as well as Iraq.

MODON has also launched several development projects in the second industrial city of Makkah, which is over 4.3 million sq. meters in size, including integrated infrastructure enhanced with essential services and innovative products.

This includes a new 200 megavolt-amperes substation to foster a competitive industrial environment promoting growth and sustainability.

The Al-Kharj industrial complex, spanning over 307,000 sq. meters with an investment of SR375 million, is expected to create approximately 1,000 jobs, supporting industries such as construction, exhibitions, and sports as well as cultural and entertainment events.

It will also enhance the iron, aluminum, glass, and PVC textile industries, with plans to export 60 percent of its production to neighboring Gulf countries.

Through these efforts, MODON is driving industrial growth in the Kingdom by developing and managing distinguished industrial cities and technology zones in collaboration with the public and private sectors.

Currently, the developed land area across 37 industrial cities in Saudi Arabia exceeds 215 million sq. meters, housing approximately 6,882 industrial facilities.